2. Christmas DinnerThis is a simple dinner that can be prepared prior to Christmas Day and can bereheated in a relatively short time. That is a plus, because many of us visit orreceive visitors at indefinite times, especially when family lives close by andeveryone is making the rounds. The egg nog can be made several days aheadand brought out for unexpected visitors at any time during the holiday season. Tomake matters even easier, purchase festive paper plates and cups for serving.Sit back and enjoy the festivities.GLAZED BAKED HAMYou can use a whole or half smoked ham, picnic, whatever you desire for thisrecipe. I use a fully-cooked, water-added type ham in this recipe. Ready-to-cookhams, which I use most often, require a little different roasting method. Keep inmind that leftovers are great for sandwiches, ham salad, or breakfast and, if youuse a large enough roast, thick slices can be cut and grilled.Roasting Time15 minutes per pound at 325 F. (internal temp: 140)GLAZE1/2 cup dark brown sugar1 teaspoon yellow mustard3/4 cup orange juiceWhole clovesPineapple slices and/or maraschino cherries (optional)Score top of ham using diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart and about 1 inch intomeat. Insert 1 clove into each square (or less if desired). Place in roasting panand set in preheated oven. Stir together the brown sugar, mustard and orangejuice. Brush all over top of ham. Roast according to above time, basting with panjuices and additional glaze every 20 minutes. If desired, place pineapple sliceswith cherries in center, secured with toothpicks, on top for final hour or so ofroasting. Remove from oven; let rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. 3. HOLIDAY MACARONI AND CHEESESERVES 6-8The original recipe for this dish came from Bon Appetit. It called for broccoli bitsand used much less grated cheese. As a matter of fact, it was a reduced fatmacaroni. It sounded interesting to me and I decided to make it for ChristmasDinner. I substituted the red and green peppers for the broccoli to make it lookmore festive. By the time I added all of the sharp cheese I wanted, not tomention that I could not bring myself to use reduced-fat varieties, there wasnothing low fat about it except that the ricotta mixture acts as a lower in fatreplacement for a bechamel. But it is so good and, after all, it was Christmas. Iam sure the dish bears absolutely no resemblance to the original.INGREDIENTS1 pound pasta, such as elbows or shells1 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces1 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces1 medium onion, chopped1 cup ricotta cheese (can use part skim)1/2 cup sour cream (can use reduced fat)1 heaping teaspoon dijon-style mustard1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/2 cup milk (approximate)Salt and pepper to taste2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheeseCook pasta in lightly salted water according to package directions for al dente.Drain; set aside. Cook onions and peppers in water just until tender (can beadded to pasta at about the last 5 minutes); drain.Meanwhile, place ricotta cheese, sour cream, mustard and Worcestershiresauce in a medium bowl. Whisk until creamy and the texture of a light bechamel,adding milk if needed to thin slightly.Place pasta, vegetables and ricotta mixture in bowl and mix to combine. Add saltand pepper. Add shredded cheese and combine well. Place in greased 13x9x2baking pan. Cover with foil. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for about 30 minutes,or until hot and bubbly. If desired, remove foil to brown slightly.Notes: Can be made ahead, placed in baking dish, and refrigerated. Bake forapproximately 60 minutes at 350 to 375 to heat before serving 4. BAKED BEANSSERVES 10Canned baked beans simply can not compare to homemade. And they are soeasy to make, especially in a slow cooker. An alternate cooking method wouldbe to place in a very slow oven or, combine methods and cook until tender in thecooker and then bake in slow oven for a short time. This recipe calls for navybeans. For something a bit different, try using large dried lima beans. By theway, those canned beans can be made much better if "doctored up" with bacon,onions, ketchup, brown sugar, etc.INGREDIENTS6 strips of bacon1 large onion, chopped1 large green pepper, chopped4 cups dried navy or great northern beans8 cups water1/2 cup dark corn syrup1/2 cup ketchup1/4 cup dark brown sugar1 teaspoon yellow mustard1/2 teaspoon cinnamonSalt and pepper to tasteIn slow cooker set on medium heat, fry bacon until slightly crisp. Remove frompan and break into 2-inch pieces. Saut onion and green pepper in bacongrease until tender. Add beans, water, bacon pieces and remaining ingredients.Stir well to combine. Cook according to the directions for the cooker or untilbeans are tender and broth has thickened, at least 8 hours. (Can be madeahead and reheated in cooker, on top of stove or in the oven.)Notes: The amount of corn syrup and brown sugar depends on your taste forsweetness. Sometimes, I use less. More ketchup can be added. Dont overduethe cinnamon. This recipe can be halved 5. SEVEN-LAYER SALADSERVES ABOUT 10This is traditionally a salad for company-gatherings. However, it keeps very wellleftover in the refrigerator for several days so it can be made for an everydaydinner.INGREDIENTS1 medium head romaine lettuce, shredded1 cup coarsely chopped celery1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper1/2 cup coarsely chopped red pepper1 cup coarsely chopped onion1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced1 cup mayonnaise1/2 cup sour cream1-1/2 tablespoons sugar1-3/4 cups medium sharp cheese, grated8 strips bacon, cooked, drained and crumbledPlace lettuce in bottom of large bowl or 13x9x2 pan, preferrably clear. In layers,add celery, peppers, onion, peas and eggs. Mix together mayonnaise, sourcream and sugar. Spread on top. Top with cheese and bacon. Refrigerateovernight.Note: This salad is normally made with iceberg lettuce. I prefer to use romainesince it has much more nutritional value. It keeps just as well as the iceberg 6. HOMEMADE DINNER ROLLSMAKES 2 DOZENI love homemade bread, but I usually only have the time to make it with myKitchenAid Mixer, one of the most useful Christmas presents I ever received("Thanks, Mom"), or my bread machine. This recipe comes from the KitchenAidbook, with a few minor adjustments. However, if you dont have a heavy-dutymixer, it can easily be done by hand; adjust kneading time accordingly.INGREDIENTS1 cup milk1/2 cup water1/2 cup unsalted butter (or margarine)4-5 cups all-purpose unbleached flour3 tablespoons sugar1 teaspoon salt2 packages active dry yeastCombine milk, water and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat untilliquids are very warm (120 - 130 F). Or, heat in microwave.Place 3-1/2 cups flour, in bowl with sugar, salt and yeast. Stir to combine. Addwarm liquid and mix until thoroughly combined. Gradually add remaining flour,mixing and kneading with each addition, until dough is no longer sticky. Continuekneading until shiny and elastic.Place dough in greased bowl; cover with greased plastic wrap and heavy towel.Place in warm, draft-free area and let rise for 15 minutes.Turn dough unto floured board. Shape into 24 equal pieces. Form each pieceinto a ball and place on greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart or in muffinpans. With scissors, cut the tops of each ball in half, then in quarters to make acloverleaf effect. Cover; let rise in a warm (90 F) oven for 15 minutes.Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake rolls for 12 minutes or until done. Remove frompans and cool on wire rack. (Hot rolls may be brushed with melted butter beforecooling.) 7. Christmas Ham Braised in White Wine with Vegetables1 tb Unsalted butter3/4 c Thinly sliced carrots3/4 c Chopped onions1 Boneless cooked ham -; (5(or slightly larger cooked1 In [5 to 6 lbs])4 c Dry white wine; divided6 Sprigs Parsley2 Bay leaves; broken in half6 Peppercorns; crushed1/2 ts Dried thyme1 ds Powdered cloves1/4 c Apple jelly3 tb Sweet-hot mustard or2 c Low-sodium chicken stock10 1/2 tb Cornstarch10 1/2 tb Cold water1 bn Fresh watercress; forPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter in large, heavy roasting pan overmedium heat. When hot, add carrots and onions and saute, stirring, untilsoftened, about 3 minutes. Place ham, fat-side up, on top of vegetables. Add 3cups wine, parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and cloves to pan. Bring toa simmer. Remove from stovetop. Cover pan; transfer to oven. Bake until quitetender when pierced with knife, about 1 1/2 hours or longer, basting every 20minutes with pan juices. Remove pan from oven; raise temperature to 450degrees. Combine jelly and mustard in small saucepan; cook over low heat,stirring, until jelly is dissolved. Brush ham with mustard mixture and return tooven; bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Remove hamfrom pan; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let cool for 20 minutes while makingsauce. Discard bay leaves and parsley. Puree remaining vegetables and anyjuices in pan in food processor, blender or food mill. Return to roasting pan;place pan on stovetop over high heat. Add remaining 1 cup wine and stock; cookuntil mixture is reduced slightly, by a fourth. Stir together cornstarch and water;stir into roasting pan and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens lightly.To serve, cut ham into thin slices and arrange, overlapping, on serving platter.Garnish with watercress; top with a little sauce. Pass remaining sauceseparately. Yield: 10 to 12 servings 8. Baked Oysters - a Holiday Tradition2 Sleeves Saltine Crackers;3 cn Whole Oysters; Drained,1 Stick Butter Or Margarine;Evaporated Milk; Approx 1/2MilkBlack Pepper; to tastePreheat oven to 350 degrees. Into large bowl, combine crackers, drainedoysters, melted butter and black pepper to taste. Stir gently till well mixed. Addevaporated milk to reserved oyster liquid to make 2 cups. Pour into cracker-oyster mixture, stir gently to mix well. Spoon mixture